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Monday, February 13, 2012

Review: Lush

A few weeks ago, Taylor and I visited Lush for the first time. I'd been reading great reviews about their bath bombs online and I'm always looking for something to help with my anxiety so I thought maybe it was worth looking into.

Before I go any further, I'd like to say that I'm not a shopper that requires much attention. I like knowing that there's an employee available to help me if I really need it, but I like looking around on my own and trying things on my own. I also have issues with strangers touching me...so, there's that.

The employees at Lush were very attentive. I would say almost too attentive. The guy who helped me was very friendly, but I really didn't feel comfortable having someone slather things all over my arms. I felt like I constantly needed to be apologizing despite not asking for his help. If I decide to purchase anything again, I will most likely purchase online because it was just a little too much for me. I felt trapped and afterwards one of my arms was kind of greasy and smelled really strongly and the other felt normal which actually felt really off-putting.

Aside from my anxiety about ever returning to a physical Lush store, I really loved most of the things I purchased.

I picked this up after reading Charlene of Dainty Dressesreview. She mentioned that you should use the whole thing to get the full effect. But, because I'm cheap and stubborn I used half at first and then realized you really should use all of it in one go and added the second half.

It made the bath water sososo soft and the prettiest pale pink and it smelled very lightly of marshmallow. There weren't any bubbles (which I prefer) and it left my skin feeling really soft and moisturized. I really loved the sweet scent and the way it made the water ridiculously soft. It fizzed a lot slower than Twilight did, but I didn't mind it at all. It was a really nice way to start my day and feel like I'd pampered myself.

I would definitely buy it again but hopefully Lush will have a sale or deal soon since $7.95 is kind of a lot for me.

Twilight Bath Bomb

This was by far my favorite item. I loved how it smelled like ovaltine and lavender. Normally, I can't stand lavender but this was just subtle enough and the ovaltine complimented it in just the right way that I actually really liked it. So much so, that I'm planning on buying the perfume!

When it hits the water it spins and fizzes, turning the water a dark purple and leaving streaks of pink and blue foam on top. I didn't see the blue glitter in my tub afterwards, but my bathroom is dimly lit (cave) so that probably had a lot to do with it. It's supposed to be calming so I waited until I'd had a particularly stressful day before using it. It was super relaxing. I don't know if it was just a placebo effect but I felt way better afterwards.

This is the item I will most likely repurchase from Lush since I loved how it smelled so much.Heavanilli Massage Bar

This massage bar is supposedly scented vanilla, though I personally think the smell of vanilla is annoying and over-used, this actually smells more like buttercream frosting to me. It's much more buttery smelling than anything else and I really enjoy the way it smells and the way it looks is precious! Which is why I so easily swayed myself into buying it.

This was one of the items that I had slathered on my arm and was more of an impulse buy. I realized I wanted something from their valentine collection and I liked the way this smelled and I figured I might like it since it's essentially lotion in a bar form. I have mixed feelings about it though to be honest. It does moisturize well and it makes your skin soft and it has a nice light smell to it on your skin. Trouble is, I always feel a bit greasy after using it and that is not something I'm fond of. Plus, the massage bar begins to melt in your hands while you're using it, so you can't grip it properly and storing it is a bit of a joke. Plan on using a plastic baggy or using the lush bag it came with for storage. So glamorous.

Overall, will probably not purchase this again because it's just not for me.

Honey Trap Lip Balm & Samples

This lip balm smells heavily of bee wax and a bit of vanilla. It was also a bit of an impulse buy since I wanted to try more than the bath bombs and the only Lush near me is at NorthPark Mall, which if you're familiar with the DFW area at all, you know that it's not close to Denton at all really. So I was attempting to purchase a small range of products since I wouldn't have the opportunity to make it back out for awhile.

Alright, well, there was really nothing special about this lip balm. It mostly smells like bees wax and it doesn't really come off on your finger easily, it has to warm up first which is sort of a hassle when you're trying to swipe on some balm before doing something. If I wanted to spend more than a few seconds on my lips, I would be applying lipstick. Plus, I'm not a big fan of pot balm because I'm a bit of a germ-o-phobe and despite washing my hands incessantly, it still freaks me out a bit.

To be honest, I haven't really tried these whole-heartedly so I can't give much of a review on either of them but when I do, I'll be sure to post another review.
So, if I take everything I've reviewed and learned anything from it, it's to:

1. Research Lush productsbefore buying them. Impulse buys, while fun in the moment, will cause you nothing but sadness and loss over your $17 you essentially just flushed down the cosmetic toilet.

2. If you plan on visiting a physical Lush store and you also have issues with being touched, let it be known! I'm sure they will leave you alone if you tell them politely that you just want to browse.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. Taylor bought completely different things than I did and recently posted a review of her purchases on her blog, A Thunder Heart. Check it out!

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disclaimer____________________________________

all product reviews and opinions are my own. all products featured were either purchased by me with my own money or were gifts from family & friends. i am not affiliated with any company or brand of product. if i ever receive a product to review, it will be my honest opinion and clearly stated in the review.also - all artwork featured on my blog is by me unless otherwise stated.